Putter-pool game device

ABSTRACT

A game device which is a portable package having a smooth carpeted playing surface and edges to define a pool table configuration, with pockets and bumpers, where the package unfolds to lay flat on the floor to stretch the carpet tight because of the abutment of the carrying base when the device is unfolded. Golf balls are utilized as the balls and putted with a putter to achieve the combination of putting with pool. The device is portable and can be folded to store all the balls and clubs inside between the carpeted surfaces in the folded condition. A carrying handle also serves to retain the device in the folded condition.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant E.\'aminerTheatrice Brown Att0rneyOldham and Oldham ABSTRACT: A game device which is a portable package having a smooth carpeted playing surface and edges to define a pool table configuration, with pockets and bumpers. where the package unfolds to lay flat on the floor to stretch the carpet tight because of the abutment of the carrying base when the device is unfolded. Golf balls are utilized as the balls and putted with a putter to achieve the combination of putting with pool. The device is portable and can be folded to store all the balls and clubs inside between the carpeted surfaces in the folded condition. A carrying handle also serves to retain the device in the folded condition.

Patented M4, 11, 1911 2 Shoots-Sheet 1 FIG.3

ums M. WEE? ICHARD W. Ld .CONTE BY 4 2 f fim FIG.4

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 11, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8

INVENTORS CHARLES M. SKULLY RICHARD W. La CONTE ATTORNEYS PUTTER-POOL GAME DEVICE The general object of the invention is to provide a game device which combines the techniques of putting in golf with the fun and challenge of pool, particularly in an inexpensive yet rugged and durable portable game apparatus.

The aforesaid object of the invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by providing in a game device the combination of a rectangularly-shaped playing board comprising two equal halves laid in end-to-end relation, a single piece of carpet covering the top surface of the boards where the boards and carpet have at least one rather large circular hole therethrough, edge means attached to the board providing a raised perimeter around the board, ball means to roll on the carpet and being of such diameter as to be less than one-half the diameter of the hole, club means to putt the ball means, and handle means attached to the edge means substantially centrally positioned on the sides of the halves opposite their adjacent edges whereby when the covered faces of the halves are folded towards each other the handles come into alignment to facilitate carrying the combination, and the ball means and club means are pressed and held between the folded carpet.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, broken away cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, broken away cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, broken away cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1',

FIG. 5 is an end elevation showing the game device of FIG. 1 in the folded condition;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, broken away top plan view of the device in the folded condition of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, broken away cross'sectional view showing the attachment of the carpet by adhesive means to the playing board; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, broken away cross-sectional modification showing the attachment of the carpet by a staple to the carrying board.

With reference to the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a game device which comprises a playing surface indicated generally by numeral 12 bounded by a plurality of peripheral edge bumper sections 14 which define openings to holes or pockets 16 so that the device in total and plan view as shown in FIG. 1 represents a conventional six-pocket pool table. Plastic inserts 18 cover and protect the outer area adjacent each pocket 16 where the bumper sections 14 do not extend around.

The invention contemplates that the playing surface 12 will comprise a playing board indicated generally by numeral 20 as seen in FIG. 2 which is formed of two equal-sized halves 20a and 20b split and extending between the center pocket 16, as shown by dotted line 20c in FIG. 1. A conventional miniature golf course putting carpet or felt'22 covers the playing surface 12 and is of one-piece construction. The layer 22 might be a goat hair fabric with either a burlap or nylon backing, as is conventional in this field and such materials are made by Burlington Mills, of Burlington Mills, Wisconsin, or by Davis Felt and Carpet, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Essentially the base board 20 may be made from a suitable plywood or, preferably, from a composite pressed board such as tempered masonite to give a firm support.

The baseboard or playing board 20 will normally have a thickness of between one-eighth inch to one-fourth inch, with the carpet or putting felt 22 normally being somewhat thinner than the baseboard 20. The invention contemplates that the carpet 22 may be held in position with respect to board 20 by a plurality of screws, indicated by dotted line 24 in FIG. 2, extending upwardly through board 20 and actually holding the wooden rails 14 in proper position with respect thereto while at the same time clamping the carpet around its peripheral edge. It should be noted also in FIG. 2 that the rails or edge means 14 are normally made from about aflat 1 inch by 3 inch piece of wood to achieve the bumper action necessary with resilience for the purposes of the game as more fully defined hereinafter.

In order to insure that when the game device of the invention is unfolded and laid flat, as shown in FIG. I, the carpet or cutting felt 22 will also lay flat, the invention provides a close fitting, abutting relationship between boards 20a and 20b at their adjacent edges, as best seen in FIG. 3, which in turn stretches the carpet 22 in tension across this butt joint as indicated by double-ended arrow'26. In this manner the carpet 22 will lay flat and tightly stretched when the game device of FIG. I is laid into the flat position shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates the pocket configuration showing the relationship of plastic insert 18, carpet 22, and baseboard section 20a. Any suitable means may be utilized to position the plastic insert 18 with respect to the bumper sections 14 such as adhesive or other positive screw-type mounting means.

FIG. 1 illustrates that the game is played with IS balls which are normally contemplated to be conventional golf balls, indicated generally by numeral 30, a cue ball 32, and a putting club 34. A triangularly shaped rack 36 may be used to position the balls as in a regular pool game so that the game may be played in substantially conventional manner for normal six pocket pool except that putting with an instrument such as club 34 is utilized instead of a cue stick and the playing surface 12 is on floor level rather than being raised to waist height.

In order to facilitate portability and storage of the device of FIG. 1 a pair of handles 40 and 42 are mounted in centrally placed position on the ends of the bumper sections 14, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The stored relationship ready for portability is illustrated in FIG. 5 showing that the halves 20a and 20b have had their covered surfaces folded towards each other so as to bring handle means 40 and 42 into aligned relationship on the top edge. Because of the compressibility of the carpet 22 and the thickness of the sections 14, the balls 30, cue ball 32, club 34, and triangle 36 will all be pressed and held into fixed relationship, as indicated by, the dotted lines in FIG. 5 when the halves 20a and 20b are folded in the carrying relationship shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 illustrates two separate structural concepts for holding the apparatus of the invention in the folded configuration. In one embodiment a pair of hooks 44 and 46 pivotally mounted at 440 and 4611 respectively, may be adapted to hook onto pins 44b and 46b, respectively, to hold the halves 20a and 20b in face-to-face relationship. As an alternative, however, the invention contemplates that handle 42 may be removable from one end on its anchoring pin 42a to snap or otherwise slide into a removably secured position on the anchoring pin for handle 40 as illustrated in FIG. 6 to hold the halves 20a and 20b in folded position.

FIG. 7 illustrates a modified embodiment of the invention where a carpet or putting felt 22a is held by an adhesive layer 60 to a baseboard or playing board 200. Any suitable adhesive well known to those skilled in the art might be appropriate. On the other hand, FIG. 8 illustrates a modified embodiment where a putting felt or carpet 22b is held in place to a baseboard 20d by an appropriate staple 62 which countersinks below the surface of carpet 22b and has barbed ends 64 so as to hold in embedded relationship in the baseboard 20d when it is driven into place. The embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8 might be utilized to more firmly anchor the putting felt to the surface of the playing board if this proves necessary in certain situations.

Thus it is seen that the objects of the invention have been achieved by providing a portable game device which folds down to provide a stretched carpeted playing surface in the configuration of a pool table, but where golf balls and a putter are utilized to accomplish the purposes of the game. Any well known adaptations of 6 pocket pool can be played on the game device.

While in accordance with the patent statutes only one best known embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, but that the inventive scope is defined-in the appended claims.

We claim:

l. in a game device the combination of a rectangularlyshaped playing board comprising two equal halves positioned in end-to-end relation, a single piece carpet fixed to each half and covering the top surface of the board, said carpet constituting the sole means for hingedly joining the two halves together, said carpet and top surface defining a smooth playing-surface including six holes through the board and carpet located so as to define a six-pocket pool table configuration, bumper edge means of great width, but relatively flat to provide resilience attached to' the board providing a raised perimeter around the board, ball means to roll on the carpet and being of such diameter as to be less than one-half the diameter of the holes, club means to putt the ball means from a'standing position and handle means attached to the bumper edge means substantially centrally positioned on the sides of the halves opposite their adjacent edges whereby when the covered faces of the halves are folded toward each other the handles come into alignment to facilitate carrying the combination, and the ball means and club means are pressed between the folded carpet and held thereby 2. A game device according to claim I where at least one of the handle means removably interconnects front the edge 0pposite the abutting edge of one-half to the edge opposite the abutting edge of the other halfso as to hold the board halves in folded covered laee-to-face relation to facilitate transportation and storage ofthe ball means and club means between the folded halves.

3. A game device according to claim I where hook means are mounted to the bumper edge means to selectively hold the halves in face-to-face relation.

4. A game device according to claim I where the carpet is held in place on the board by being secured around its perimetcr by the bumper. edge means, and where when the halves unfold into end to end relation the ends of the halves ol the board abut and stretch the carpet smoothly and tightly over the top surface thereof.

5. A game device according to claim 4 where the carpet is adhesively secured to both halves in addition to being held thereto by the bumper edge means.

6. A game device according to claim 4 where the carpet is stapled to both halves in addition to being held thereto by the bumper edge means. 

1. In a game device the combination of a rectangularly-shaped playing board comprising two equal halves positioned in end-toend relation, a single piece carpet fixed to each half and covering the top surface of the board, said carpet constituting the sole means for hingedly joining the two halves together, said carpet and top surface defining a smooth playing surface including six holes through the board and carpet located so as to define a six-pocket pool table configuration, bumper edge means of great width, but relatively flat to provide resilience attached to the board providing a raised perimeter around the board, ball means to roll on the carpet and being of such diameter as to be less than one-half the diameter of the holes, club means to putt the ball means from a standing position and handle means attached to the bumper edge means substantially centrally positioned on the sides of the halves opposite their adjacent edges whereby when the covered faces of the halves are folded toward each other the handles come into alignment to facilitate carrying the combination, and the ball means and club means are pressed between the folded carpet and held thereby.
 2. A game device according to claim 1 where at least one of the handle means removably interconnects from the edge opposite the abutting edge of one-half to the edge opposite the abutting edge of the other half so as to hold the board halves in folded covered face-to-face relation to facilitate transportation and storage of the ball means and club means between the folded halves.
 3. A game device according to claim 1 where hook means are mounted to the bumper edge means to selectively hold the halves in face-to-face relation.
 4. A game device according to claim 1 where the carpet is held in place on the board by being secured around its perimeter by the bumper edge means, and where when the halves unfold into end to end relation the ends of the halves Of the board abut and stretch the carpet smoothly and tightly over the top surface thereof.
 5. A game device according to claim 4 where the carpet is adhesively secured to both halves in addition to being held thereto by the bumper edge means.
 6. A game device according to claim 4 where the carpet is stapled to both halves in addition to being held thereto by the bumper edge means. 